The Alfred Dunhill Championship winner at Leopard Creek showed his class with rounds of 66 and 64 at Durban Country Club, finishing the day at 14-under-par. Norris, who had to complete his suspended first round before heading straight into his second, made the most of the long day.

“I finished off the first round nicely and then just carried that into the second round,” he said. “I’m hitting the ball well and putting myself in great positions for birdies. I’m very happy with where my game is at the moment. I left a few putts out there, but that’s actually a good sign because it means there’s still room to go lower.”

Dale Whitnell. Photo: Sunshine Tour

With the second round set to be completed on Saturday morning due to Thursday’s weather delays, Norris remains the man to beat.

However, Friday was also a day of jaw-dropping moments. England’s Dale Whitnell pulled off the almost unimaginable feat of two holes-in-one in a single round. He aced the par-three second hole with a seven iron before repeating the magic on the par-three 12th with a 50-degree wedge. His remarkable second-round 63 lifted him to nine under par and into contention.

“That was a hot start. I didn’t even realise the first hole-in-one went in until I heard the cheers,” said Whitnell. “Then to have another on the 12th was just bizarre. I now have five in total, but to get two in one tournament round is incredible.”

Dylan Naidoo also had a round to remember, firing a sensational 61 to move to 13 under par, just one shot behind Norris. The South African admitted he was so locked in that he lost track of his own score.

“It’s crazy. I honestly had no idea what I shot. I was just trying to hit the best shots I could,” he said. “A few spectators asked me on the 11th what my score was, and I told them I had no clue. But performances like these remind me that I belong at this level and can compete for titles.”

Elsewhere on the leaderboard, former champion Branden Grace finished the day on 11 under par, alongside Darren Fichardt and Andrea Pavan. England’s Sam Bairstow was also at 11 under with 10 holes still to complete when darkness halted play.

Dylan Naidoo. Photo: Sunshine Tour

In the amateur ranks, Christiaan Maas delivered a stellar 64 to establish himself as the clear frontrunner for the prestigious Freddie Tait Cup at 10 under par. Meanwhile, another past champion, Brandon Stone, remains within striking distance, just five shots off the lead.

With moving day set to unfold on Saturday, all eyes will be on Norris as he looks to capitalise on his lead and push for a landmark victory on home soil.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cg